• SO the Camden & Islington NHS Trust thinks the demand and supply of acute mental health beds in Camden is balancing out, (Record demand for hospital beds, October 17).

Well they could be right, except that one crucial factor has been overlooked. Right now there are between 20 and 30 people in Camden with chronic mental health conditions who are not on wards, not “living in the community” but are living at home with aging parents.

The health of these carers is on an inevitable and progressive curve of decline. They will continue to struggle to their last gasp to support loved ones, but there comes a point when the ravages of aging will prevail. What then?

Yes, a neighbour will, in an emergency, bring a meal round, do some shopping, even visit you in hospital, but keep an hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year, eye on someone they barely know? No, not really.

So, what will happen? The father or mother who held the tenancy for the flat or house is no longer around, the property reverts to the landlord. The best the council could do would be to rehouse them in a studio flat.

But they will get no minute by minute, hour by hour, day on day support: maybe a care worker coming in for a couple of hours a day, leaving them on their own for the other.

Will that two hours a day provide for money management, cooking two hot meals, companionship morning, noon, and night? Will that two hours make sure GP and out-patient appointments are kept? Or buy birthday presents, take the cared for on holiday?

C&I stated: “We remain confident that we have the right number of beds for our population, now and into the future…”. You must be joking!

PETER LYONS
NW1